Somehow we knew it was coming – an Octa-Core smartphone from Cherry Mobile. They’re far too competitive in the local market to let other brands fire off their own Octa-Core devices without an answer – and that answer turns out to be the most affordable one so far: the Cosmos Z2. Priced at only PHP 12,999, it’s easily in the budget of high-end Quad-Cores from last year – while also being more-affordable than competing Octa-phones. Plus its got all the specs you’d want – including an 18MP BSI camera, Dragon Trail-protected Full HD IPS display, 16GB storage + expansion, and all that jazz. And guess what, its going to be available starting today. But before you rush out to stores, check out our launch preview video talking about its features and specs below!

Cherry Mobile Cosmos Z2 – PHP 12,999

1.7Ghz Octa-Core MediaTek 6592 Processor

5.0” 1920×1080 IPS OGS Dragon Trail Display

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with upgrade to KitKat in March

2GB RAM, 16GB ROM, MicroSD

18MP BSI Camera + LED Flash, 8MP Front

2,000mAh Battery

Dual SIM 3G (One MicroSIM)

USB OTG Capable

Some cool things to note here (aside from the Octa-Core processor), is the ample 2GB of RAM, KitKat upgrade, and the USB OTG support. Those are features that a lot of consumers have been clamoring for – and give us a nice spec bump from PHP 12k phones from the past few months. The Cherry Mobile Cosmos Z2 is definitely something you should check out if you’re looking for a powerhouse phone. (Typically for gaming, of course.)

Anyway, you can check out the Cosmos Z2 at Cherry Mobile stores soon – with SM North EDSA getting the phone in stocks today. Have your PHP 12,999 ready if you’re getting one!

Update: The OEM of the Cherry Mobile Cosmos Z2 is likely the K-Touch Kis 7.

Note: Cherry Mobile also released a Quad-Core phone with digitizer Gesture Pen called the Titan Pro. Check out our launch preview and video of it here.